


A woman's married life.

by FleurdeLille



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M, Marriage, Marriage Law Challenge, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-08
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-06-07 03:08:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6782863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleurdeLille/pseuds/FleurdeLille
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ron and Hermione make plans to get married...But then the ministry passes a law which turns their whole life upside down. Follow Hermione during 20 years of married life...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Engagement on the Beach

**Author's Note:**

> My first fanfiction.  
> Please, keep in mind that English isn't my first language. I used a spelling corrector but it is possible there are still some grammatical mistakes. That said, I hope you enjoy the story.  
> I will try to update once a week. All the capital chapters are already written. I now have to fill in the gaps in between.

SUNDAY JULY-8-2001 

They engaged in a long passionate kiss whilst Ron placed the ring around her finger.                                                                                                             „I’m going to be married…married“ Hermiones heart jumped up and down in a silly dance.                                                                                                       Here, on the beaches of Normandy, she felt drunk with happiness. The sun sank, leaving a golden colour on the waves, a lonely peacock circled above the sand and she was engaged to be married to her boyfriend for three years, the man of her life, Ronald Bilius Weasley.

Their week in France had been wonderful.                                                                                                                                                                               First, they had visited Hagrid at Beauxbatons where he examined some very small magical insects ‘Quockies’ over a one year time period. Their wings, which endlessly regrew, were an ingredient that possibly could replace the less powerful fly wings in some potions. Quockies are found in large colonies over the whole of France, but the colonies are that big ‘cause most of them die before reaching adulthood and growing wings. So they were extremely difficult to breed and care for and the different British climate would provide Hagrid with extra challenges if he wanted to export the species to Hogwarts School of Wizardy and Witchcraft. Hagrid was only mildly excited about the creatures as they weren’t particularly dangerous, but he liked the idea of being a whole year with his good friend Olympe.                                                                                                                                 “But Hagrid, who will see to the Hogwarts grounds then?” Ron had asked. He had winked to them. “Don’t want to spoil a surprise.” was everything he wanted to say.

After their visit to Beauxbatons they went to Hermiones parents hired cottage to spent the next five days with them.                                                             They had outdoor picnics , many walks on the beach and Mr. Granger had tried to explain Ron the rules of soccer, giving Mrs. Granger and Hermione hick ups from laughing because Ron couldn’t manage not to use his hands. And now, on their last night, at the beach, Ron had popped the question.

“Are you happy?” Ron asked her a few hours later, back in the intimacy of their room.                                                                                                           She answered his question with a kiss. “I love you so much” he whispered, brushing a lock of hair from her forehead after her ear.                                         She fled deeper into his arms. „I want to be with you…Always.“ She looked up to him, smiling happily. “And have you looked at my parents when we told them? My father was so happy. They like you very much, you know.” Ron coloured a bit. He was lucky he got on so well with his in-laws.

„What time will we take off tomorrow?“ Hermione asked, closing her suitcase. “Probably around twelve. I will send mum an owl, asking if she can gather the whole family around teatime. I will write her we brought some souvenirs with us.“ He sat down at the desk and started to write. „Don’t forget to write Harry too“ said Hermione whilst taking Pigwidgeon out of the cage. “I have to start working again on Wednesday. Can we go to the ministry on Tuesday to register our engagement?” “Of course” Ron stood up and placed a gentle hand on her shoulders. She replied his touch hungry. Pigwidgeon flew above them like a shuttle out of track.


	2. The Daily Prophet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To write my story, Snape had to survive the Wizarding War...

MONDAY JULY-9-2001

Severus Snape stood in front of the small mirror in his bathroom. He buttoned up his shirt. When he reached his neck his slim fingers slowly touched the four white dots. A small sting went through his whole body. It was a constant remembrance of his bravery during the Second Wizarding War.  
“Kill him.” Voldemorts voice echoed in his head. After the teeth of the snake Nagini bore deep into his flesh, Snape had felt his life deserting him.  
As by miracle he was found by “Hero – Potter, Stupidly-Loyal-Weasley and Insufferable-Know-It-All-Granger”. In that instant, when he knew he was dying, all he wanted to see were Potters eyes….her eyes…the eyes of the only woman who had ever lived inside his heart. A few tears had run down.  
“Take them …take them to the pensieve.” He wanted the world to know which double role he had played all those years. The boy had been frightened, however he obeyed.  
“Leave me” He didn’t want to die on display.

Being a potion master and knowing venom, Snape estimated he had about half an hour left to take his leave from the world. He had closed his eyes and thought of Lily, until he saw a spark of fire in the corner of his eye. Underneath the ceiling of the Shrieking Shack he saw a phoenix very slowly rise out of a pile of ashes. The bird looked at him, but had made no attempt to move. The man felt his powers diminish by the minute so he knew he had to act fast.  
Severus Snape, powerful wizard and extremely skilled in wandless spells, gathered all the magic he had left inside.  
“Imperio!” he whispered. He tried to get inside the birds mind to control it. However he didn’t succeed. “Stupid bird” he grimaced through his pain.  
Then, to his uttermost surprise, the bird had walked towards him, started to weep, and let tears fall down on his severe wounds. Very slowly they had closed and he had felt his strengths return. “Of course…Fawkles the phoenix” Loyal to Dumbledore, even after the old headmasters death, and therefore loyal to anyone who was loyal to Dumbledore.  
“And loyal to Dumbledore” Snape grimly had thought “he hàd been.”  


Hours later, he had walked up to Hogwarts castle, waiting to be arrested as a Death Eater. It was Potter who had come to his aid. He told the Order members and the ministry officials what he had seen in the pensieve and about Dumbledores and Snapes secret plans. Snape had felt a strange kind of grattitude when he realised Harry had given “strong sense of guilt” as the reason Snape had changed to the good side and not his undying love for Lily.  
Nobody wanted to doubt the words of the Boy-Who-Saved-The-Wizarding-World so Snape was released, although others needed more time to trust him again. To his surprise, it had been McGonagall who was the first to reach out to him again. The woman had been his fiercest opponent during his time as Head Master, but she had trusted Dumbledore unconditionally. Around the end of July, she had asked him to come back as potions master instead of the retiring professor Slughorn. He had been slightly offended that she didn’t trust him enough to give him Defence Against the Dark Arts, but he had accepted.

Now, 2 years later, he was Potions Teacher, Head of Slytherin House and Deputy Headmaster and he treated the Auror Minerva had enlisted instead of him with all the disdain he strictly reserved for fellow DADA-teachers. Minerva on the other hand had become a real friend although, “him killing Dumbledore” remained a subject, they weren't able to talk about..  
Snape closed the last of his buttons, retrieving the white dots from sight, and left his dungeon quarters. A long walk later, he knocked at the doors of Minerva’s private quarters. They had installed the habit of having breakfast together once a week during the Summer breaks as they were the only two staff members who didn’t leave the grounds. “Severus, come in” Minerva stepped back to allow him entrance. Ten minutes later they were drinking tea, eating scones and discussing some new rules for the upcoming school year.  
They were stopped by a big black raven ticking against the window. Snape opened and took The Daily Prophet from the birds claw. His eyes scanned the front page. “What?” he hissed. Nervously, he turned to page 2.  
“Severus?” Minerva asked. He threw the paper on her breakfast plate. “They have gone mad.” Minerva started to read: 

MARRIAGE LAW INSTALLED  
In the light of the decreasing birth rate of magical babies and the increasing birth rate of squibs, the ministry passed a law which oblige witches between 18 and 45 and wizards between the age of 18 and 55 to marry. Witches and wizards will be given some possible matches, chosen by the ministry.  
More information about the matching process, will be given to each witch/wizard in this age category. They may expect a personal letter later today. For scientific evidence about the increase of squib births, and restrictions and exceptions to this law, please turn to page 2.

The headmistress had turned white around the nose. “Severus, …from the age of 18…This law is going to apply to most of our 7th years.  
“Minerva” his voice had the soft whisper which he knew scared students, but he couldn’t help it. “This law applies to me”. She opened her eyes in such shock that even without that intention, Severus was inside her mind, reading. “ O god, which witch could possibly put up with Snapes moods and tempers? That poor woman. I wouldn’t be able to do it.” Minerva, feeling her thoughts were no longer secret, was able to fight him of with Occlumency within seconds, but she also knew she couldn’t “unthink” the thoughts he had seen. She looked down to the hands in her lap, with a light blush. – She heard a “CLICK”. When she looked up, Severus had gone. The knot of guilt in her stomach stayed, even when she read on page 2 that 18-year-olds who were still in school, could have their marital duties postponed for a year.


	3. The Marriage Law

MONDAY JULY-9-2001

“Do you think they know?” Ron asked, in their London apartment where they already lived together for almost a year. He was dead tired from their journey by bus and genuinely preferred magical means of transport.  
“Your mother has eyes for this kind of thing. I think she at least suspects this to be more than a random visit.”  
“You don’t have to be nervous, you know.” Ron said in an overly-fatherly tone. “They love you to bits.”  
“Ron,” Hermione answered in an equally motherly tone. “I know.” She gave him a wink. They left their suitcases in the corridor and walked to the living room. Hermione took the Floo powder from the fireplace. They climbed into the fireplace one by one, yelled “ the Burrow” and a few blinks of an eye later they rolled onto the floor of the Weasleyhome.  
“Wait, you have something here” Hermione brushed a bit of dust from Rons nose. It was only then, she felt the atmosphere, tense as a bent bow, in the kitchen. In the blink of an eye Hermione had scanned the faces in the room:  


Charlie talked to Fleur and Bill in the corner in a low voice. He shook his head from time to time. Harry and Ginny were sitting next to each other at the kitchen table, silent, but their hands entwined. George stood with his back to them, his fists clenched but it was the sight of Angelina which gave Hermione a punch in the stomach. The older witch was crying on Mrs. Weasleys shoulder, her sobs muffled by a handkerchief she held against her mouth.  
“What’s wrong? Where’s dad?” Hermione heard Ron shout next to her, and she heard the worry in his voice.  
“Dad’s fine”. Molly had left the table (Angelina was now sobbing with her head on the table) and came towards them and hugged them tightly. She felt the engagement ring pressing against her back and took Hermione's hand. She looked at the ring and said with tears in her eyes: “ Oh my dears, I hope…let’s hope the ministry….”  


She was interrupted by two brown church owls, ticking against the kitchen window. They were hardly visible, behind the large envelops they were carrying.  
“There you have it. It will be one for each of you”.  
Five minutes later, Hermione stared at the envelop that she held in her hand. She and Ron exchanged a bewildered glance. Neither of them had any idea what was going on. The envelop had the ministerial seal. Hermione sank down in a chair and noticed that the people around the table didn’t dare to look her in the eye.  
Nervously, she opened the envelop. Two rolls of parchment and a small golden envelop were inside. She picked out the first, which was written in red ink. 

 

MINISTRY OF MAGIC/Department of Magical Marriages, Wizarding Weddings & Charming Children  


Three years have passed since the Great War released us of Voldemort. Tragically a lot of the deceased heroes were young wizards and witches. Almost a whole generation of young adults who just settled down or would otherwise settle down by now, is wiped out.  
As a result of this, the past years have experienced a drastic decrease of births within magical families and thus a decrease of babies who are possibly magical. Furthermore new research from St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries saw the number of squibs increase with 25% during the last 10 years. Worrying is that every squib of the last 10 years is born into pureblood families.  


In that light, the ministry feels obliged to take immediate action and to install a Marriage Law:  


Every British witch between the age of 18 and 45 and every British wizard between the age of 18 and 55 will be presented with suitable partners. They are obliged to marry one of them. The ministry matched those partners based on blood purity, school results, professional life, wands, and interests.  


To prevent the birth of squibs and to increase the chances of children inheriting magic, the ministry upheld those rules during the matching process:  
• Pureblood bachelors are never to be partnered with other purebloods  
• Muggleborn wizards or witches aren’t allowed to marry other muggleborns.  
• No witch or wizard is allowed to marry a muggle or squib as long as this law is in place.  


Excluded from this new law are:  
A Every w/w under 18, every witch over 45 and every wizard over 55  
B Widowed or divorced witches/wizards with at least 2 magically gifted children.  
C Witches or Wizards who can deliver a written proof of infertility to the ministry, signed by a healer of St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries within the week.  
D Witches/wizards who are currently married. These couples are also not obliged to have (magically gifted) offspring. However if they divorce, they will be rematched by the ministry, unless they fall into category A, B or C. In their new marriage they WILL be subject to the marriage law. 

E Witches and wizards who on their 18th birthday are still enrolled in an official Wizarding School aren’t excluded from this law but will be granted a year delay.

For more information about the practical organisation of this law, read the green parchment.  
Sincerely  


K. Schacklebolt  
Minister of Magic

 

“This can’t be.” Hermione uttered these words in complete disbelief. Next to her, Ron looked completely dazzled. “This is nuts!” was the only thing he was able to say.  
His words seemed the agreed sign for everyone in the room to break loose. Everyone started to talk, nobody listened and tension started to build rapidly again in the small kitchen.  
“Stop it!!” The voice came from the corner of the room. George looked at his family for the first time since Ron's and Hermione's arrival. Hermione had only once seen him this pale: When Fred died.  
“It’s not a bad joke, it’s the harsh truth. They just matched us based on wands, blood purity and magical achievements, as if love is not important in a marriage.” At this words, Angelina started to cry even harder.  
With the knot in her stomach growing bigger by the second, Hermione unfolded the green parchment. It was addressed to her personally:  


Dear Ms. Granger  


Having matched you to the available bachelor wizards, we drew up a list of possible marriage partners for you. Every match above 65% we took into account. We give you the names of the three wizards who are your closest match. A biography of each of those can be found, if you tap on their name.  


Over the course of the next ten days you will go on a date with each of those three gentlemen. They will get in touch with you. After those ten days, you have another week to decide which of the three men you wish to marry. You have to send an engagement contract to the ministry, signed by the both of you. The actual marriage ceremony then has to take place within 2 months of the engagement date.  


BE AWARE: Every pureblood w/w who doesn’t act according to those rules will be sent to Azkaban for the remainder of their natural lives.  
Every muggleborn or halfblood w/w defying these rules will have their wands snapped, and be send to the muggleworld without any protection of the Wizarding World left.  


Marriages can be magically dissolved after ten years if at least 3 children, with proven magically abilities, are born or after fifteen years if only 1 or 2 magically gifted children are born.  
Couples without offspring ( magically gifted or not) after six years, are obliged to get treatments at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Refusal to undergo those treatments will be punished in the same way as refusing to get married (see the punishments described above).  
Adultery will be punished severely to prevent pureblood-inbreeding.  


Your personal list of matches, is attached in the golden envelop.  


Kind regards  


P. Weasley  


Deputy Head Department of Department of Magical Marriages, Wizarding Weddings & Charming Children  


P.S. If you have a VALID reason not to marry any of your given matches, you must contact the Department of Marriage personally within 24 hours after receiving this letter.  


Hermione felt like her legs had turned to jelly. Ron stretched out a hand to her, and she grabbed it with every strength she had left.  
“Together?” Ron mimicked with his lips, trying to give her a brave smile.  
“Together.” She answered.  
Her fingers ripped open the golden envelop. “How ironically” she thought, “ a golden letter, it’s like they’re saying you won the lottery…well, in a way, this is a lottery.” She trembled as she folded the letter open. Next to her, she heard Ron groan. Next thing she knew, her head collided with the hard kitchen floor.


	4. Chapter 4: Relationships smashed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Harry Potter - wiki Angelina Johnson is classified as either halfblood or pureblood. To help my story, I made her a pureblood.  
> Lavender Brown on the other hand, is listed as a pureblood but again to help my story, I made her a halfblood. She did survive the Battle of Hogwarts

Still MONDAY JULY-9-2001  
When she woke up, on the bloomy couch, underneath a thick layer of blankets, she found Ron by her side. His eyes were red, she could tell he had wept.  
“Ron…”  
He gently gave her a kiss on the nose. A little sniffing noise from Mrs. Weasley made here aware that the whole family had gathered around the sofa, and catching their eyes, she realised they knew.  
“We will fight this Hermione…we will. I will do everything I can to make this right. We will go to the ministry tomorrow.“ He squeezed her hand and she was able to provide a little smile.  


20 minutes later they all sat around the kitchen table, Hermione with a warm blanket and a cup of Mrs. Weasley's hot chicken soup.  
“The Daily Prophet announced the law this morning.” Harry said “Merlin knows how they succeeded in keeping this quiet.”  
“And Percy wrote all of our letters. He will have a lot to answer for.” Georges voice sounded harsh. “He probably agrees with the law anyway…given that it doesn’t concern him since he’s already married.” Angelina let out one single sob. According to their letters, the couple had to split up and marry different partners because both of them had a pureblood background.  
“I live in Romania for Circes sake and just because I never bothered to acquire a magical passport there, I’m still under the British wizarding law? As if one of these witches on my list would be willing to accompany me. HA! No chance!” Charlie looked as if he would rather face a 100 Hungarian Horntails at once then persuade one of this women to leave their homeland for him.  
“Oh, I’m going to kill Percy.”  
“it’s not Percy’s fault this law got through” Molly Weasley said although she didn’t sound entirely certain. 7 pairs of eyes looked grim at her. They wanted someone to blame and Percy would be the one to pay.  


A few minutes later, the front door swung open and Mr. Weasley came into the house and to everyone’s astonishment….so did Percy. But he barely made it past the threshold before Georges hands were on his throat.  
“George.” Mr Weasley shouted “Percy has nothing to do with this wicked law.” George very reluctantly loosened the grip on his brother who immediately fled to the safety of the kitchen. He poured himself a drink and started talking, looking to no one in particular.  
“They have secretly put the whole plan together, the minister and 15 other witches and wizards of the Wizengamot, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Administrative Registration Department. It’s all done with so much secrecy that they wrote the accounts of the meetings themselves. Even my boss knew nothing until this morning. He called me into his office at 8 a.m., said he was made head of the newly formed Department of Magical Marriages, that he had chosen me as his deputy, and that in ten minutes time the Daily Prophet would go out to tell about a secretly constructed marriage law.  
All he had me do today was sign the personal lists for all the unfortunate wizards and witches involved…

He looked in turn to Charlie, George, Angelina, Ron and Hermione. “I really tried to alter some names on your lists, but there was an extremely strong “non-editing spell” on them. He looked rather miserable. “Even though I usually side with the ministry and I can see their problem with the decline of birth rates, the way they’re dealing with it is preposterous”.  
Charlie stood up and patted Percy on the shoulder. “Thanks for trying, bro.” Mrs. Weasley let out a little gasp, obviously relieved.  
Percy sat down next to Ginny, pulling her into a hug. “ Thank Merlin you and Harry can marry each other”. “Yes, I sent out our engagement letter immediately after receiving my letter. I’m happy Ginny didn’t had to think about it.” Harry replied.  
Hermione watched them and she felt a little sting. She was happy for the both of them, happy that the ministry at least was right in pairing them, but it made her own fate even more bitter.  


“How are you, son?” Mr. Weasley sat down, next to Ron. Hermione assumed he already knew she and Ron weren’t meant to be together.  
“I’m definitely not going to marry Lavender Brown, our dating at school was a fiasco. The other two on my list, I don’t even know…and frankly, I don’t want to know them….I’m going to marry Hermione, I’m going to marry my fiance.”, Ron said, whilst grabbing Hermione's hand rather roughly and almost rubbing the engagement ring in his father’s face. “We will go to the ministry by first light tomorrow and settle this matter.” Hermione noticed Percy and Mr. Weasly share a glance.  
“Ron, I have to talk to you.” Percy stood up and beckoned Ron to follow him into the garden.  
Hermione couldn’t help but smile as she watched her fiance leave. This somehow childlike trust he held that everything always would work out in the end, was exactly why she loved him so much.  


When she felt a hand on her arm, she watched down to see Mr. Weasley kneeling down next to her chair.  
“Sweet Hermione, we will do everything we can to help you and Ron. But you must realize…there is a possibility that the ministry won’t acknowledge your engagement….And he….” Mr. Weasley hesitated, looking at the name on Hermione’s golden letter “ He isn’t a bad man Hermione. He may be stern and unfriendly at times but he’s also a highly intelligent and powerful wizard, a loyal Order member, a war hero and a strong arm to keep you safe.”  
“I don’t have a choice, I can’t even choose. “ Hermione said defeated, in a tone of voice, none of the people present in the room had ever heard from her. Instead of receiving her top three matches, she had been given one. One name.  


A tear welled up and there was desperation in her voice, as she said “ How on earth can I be well matched to professor Snape?”


	5. Chapter 5: Department of Magical Marriages, Wizarding Weddings and Charming Children

TUESDAY JULY 10-2001  
As quick as their feet could carry them they walked through London in the midst of the morning rush.  


Percy had told Ron that immediately after the first personal letters went out, the ministry was flooded with people who wanted to get out of it. Because the grievances had to be addressed within 24 hours, it was utter chaos and when the ministry closed yesterday at 5 p.m. there was a lot of hexing, screaming and cursing going on. The security had to escort all the people out of the building. Percy said many people tried to sleep next to the telephone box, in order to be back first as soon as the ministry would open next morning. They were driven away by the Muggle police who were informed about an extremely big gathering of Hippies and who feared a non-allowed political demonstration of some sort.  
But when Ron and Hermione reached the telephone box, they were shocked. At least 60 wizards and witches had queued up to enter the ministry.  
Percy cursed. “You have to register at the visitors entrance first. Here I can’t help you but I will wait for you in the atrium.” He turned on his heels and headed off to the toilets which were the entrances for the employees. Luckily, there weren’t much muggles in this area this early in the morning. Such a long queue of people outside a telephone box would definitely raise suspicion.  
Over one hour later Ron and Hermione were finally able to enter and they registered their wands at the visitor's desk. Hermione pinned the badge which said, Hermione Granger – Marriage Law discussion, on her blouse.  


Inside the ministry it was a complete chaos. Hundreds of people lined up before a large sign, announcing: Department of Magical Marriages, Wizarding Weddings and Charming Children. (The ministry had installed the department temporarily in the atrium because the elevators couldn’t swallow the influx of people). Ministry employees tried to manage the chaos but they were frequently hit by minor hexes like the dancing feet spell, fired of by the people waiting, which made their work extremely difficult.  
While they were walking up to the fountain in the middle, Hermione saw many anxious faces. At one point, she heard a scream right next to her. She looked aside. A young woman looked at her paper in horror. Her hands shook so much that Hermione was able to read the big red letters that were appearing across the paper: 

Personal letter delivered at 9/07/2001 at 8.59 a.m. – Lost the right to appeal at 10/07/2001 at 8.59 a.m.

Hermione couldn’t help but thinking “This is so serious. I hope were able to get in with Percy's idea.” She felt a light weight on her arm. Ron had traced Percy. “Hurry” he whispered. They moved closer to the fountain and Percy went to stand in front of them, abstracting them from view. Hastily, Hermione removed Harry’s invisibility cloak from her purse. She and Ron quickly slipped underneath it, praying nobody had seen them. They followed Percy as close as possible to the door of the “marriage department”. The door was guarded by employees who were keeping the queue of people at a distance, allowing entrance to only a few people at the time.  


“Let me through, official business” Percy said in a pompous way, making sure his deputy –badge was visible from behind the large pile of books he was carrying. Percy was let through by them and by faking trouble with one of the books he carried, which he let slip intentionally; he was able to hold the door open a little longer, allowing Ron and Hermione to slip in after him.  
He led them through another waiting room where were another 30 people were waiting. The next, very dark hallway, led up to 2 doors: Percy’s office at the right, Mr. Buckleheads office on the left.  
They removed the cloak.  
“ I have to go to my office, best of luck.”  
“Percy, thank you, really…whatever the outcome will be. Thank you.” Hermione smiled at him gratefully as Percy left them and went into his office.  
After a few minutes, the left door opened and a middle-aged witch, wearing golden glasses, came out.  
She looked a little puzzled, seeing the both of them there.  
“Oh, did I already let you through?” she asked. Ron and Hermione nodded.  
“Well then, as soon as the previous gentleman leaves the office, you can go in”.  
A minute later, a smartly dressed wizard in his early-fifties came out. “Remarry…?because my dear late wife and I only had one child…?preposterous!!” he muttered under his breath.  
Ron and Hermione looked at each other a little fear flickering in both their eyes. Then they stepped into the office.  


“Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger, what a surprise. How can I help you?”  
Isidor Buckethead, head of the department and a mousy-looking wizard offered them a chair as he wordlessly summoned 2 files out of a large pile on his desk, carrying the names R. B. Weasley and H.J. Granger.  
Ron barely sat down, before he started: “ We won’t marry any of the names on our lists. You have to undo this. We both have been awarded The Order of Merlin First Class. We played a large par in the destruction of Lord Voldemort. We at least should have a choice in who we marry.”  
“Mr. Weasley” Buckethead had flinched a little bit at the mention of Voldemorts name. “ the ministry really acknowledge the deeds you both have done but unfortunately I cannot do as you ask. Only Mr. Potter was allowed to choose his bride freely, without a matching process. “  
Rons jaw sank. Harry had just told them that he had chooses Ginny as soon as his letter came and Ron and Hermione had therefore assumed that Ginny had been one of his top 3 –matches.  
“ A woman marrying Harry Potter has to be able to do so at her own free will” Buckethead continued. “We all know that the ministry doesn’t have full control again over all the magical creatures who fought for You-Know-Who, some Death Eaters are still on the run, others with short sentences will be released soon and we can’t entirely exclude the possibility that there are still people plotting revenge. Being married to Potter can therefore be a risky business.” Hermione nodded. She understood and she felt Harry was surely entitled to his happiness after all he had gone through. That didn’t however stopped her from fighting her own cause.  
“But sir…Ron and I…we got engaged, just days ago in France.” She lifted her right hand, showing the engagement ring as if she needed to prove her point. “Please.” The last word wasn’t anything more than a whisper.  
“I’m sorry to hear that but you didn’t register your engagement with us before yesterday and anyway…the ministry didn’t think it wise to allow the 2 people closest to Harry to marry each other. You, as a couple, will certainly attract danger and revenge and therefore endangering Harry too.”  


It took a while for his words to sink in but then it hit her. Hermione’s eyes narrowed.  
“How do you mean….to allow them? Do you mean to say, Ron and I were in each other’s top three but that YOU kept us out of each other’s pick list?”  
The older man cleared his throat, feeling quite uneasy under the stern gaze of the with on the other side of the desk. His hands rumbled through Ron’s file and pulled out a really long list of names….  
“Well” he was visibly nervous “With your match of 82%” you were indeed in each other’s top 3. “  
Ron’s eyes narrowed too. He quickly grasped the list from under the Department’s head’s nose and read out loud :  


Results of the Matching Process for Ronald Billius Weasley - PUREBLOOD, conducted by the Ministry of Magic:  


MATCHES of HALFBLOODS or MUGGLEBORNS:  
1 Lavender Brown Halfblood 83%  
2 Hermione Granger Muggleborn 82%  
3 Jolanda Cattermole Muggleborn 74%  
4 Chi Huojung Halfblood 71 %  
5 Kendra Higgins Halfblood 70%  
6 Luna Lovegood Halfblood 70%  
7 Mirella Hopkins Halfblood 66%  
8 Natalie Fairbourne Muggleborn 64%

Although there were many more names on his list, Ron now read the last line, in thick gold ink on the list: MR WEASLEY WILL BE ABLE TO CHOOSE AS HIS WIFE EITHER NUMBER 1,3 OR 4.  


“It’s unfair” Hermione shouted. She had felt a little jealous sting when hearing that Lavender Brown was 1% more compatible with her boyfriend than she was, but she wove the thought to the back of her head. “The ministry doesn’t have to worry about our safety.” She snapped. “We apply to the rules. We are in each other’s top 3, Ron is a pureblood, I’m muggleborn. So why doesn’t the ministry let us…?” Her voice broke, tears ran slowly down her cheeks.  
“I’m an Auror. I’m not afraid of any danger. I can protect my wife! AND Harry too, if need be!” Ron almost yelled at the official opposite him.  
The man sighted: “There’s another reason why you weren’t on each other’s list. There’s a reason you only had one name on your list miss Granger. Following our calculations, it seems you are the only unmarried witch to have a match of more than 65% with Severus Snape. So that’s why you two have to marry.”  
“How much?” she asked. Hermione bit her lower lip. Mr. Buckethead looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”  
“I seem to be the only one to have a match of more than 65% with Snape? So …how well-matched the ministry thinks we are? What’s our percentage?” Hermione asked in a rather sarcastic way. “I don’t think this is re….” “It is relevant!!” Hermione hissed.  
Buckethead smiled at her as though he was handing her a beautiful Christmas gift and said:  
“You and mr. Snape are a match of 66%.”  
For the second time in less than 24 hours, Hermione’s head made a rough acquaintance with the floor.

////////////////////////////

Their evening was filled with a heavy silence. They were sitting opposite each other at their kitchen table. All the tears were shed, all the reproaches thrown: (“If you hadn’t been so freaking bookish and didn’t want to have so many stupid OWLS, you would have fallen under the 65 % -border. Who cares that the greasy git had like what – 11 OWLS? “ - “If you had plucked up the courage to ask me to the Yule-ball maybe I would have had better things to do in the fifth year then study the whole time. But no, you would rather snog Lavender’s face off in 6th year. Well, you’re lucky. Seems you can do it all over again!”) And all the soft words of forgiveness were spoken.  


Another three letters had arrived for Ron just hours after their return from the ministry. Arrangements he had to make for a rendezvous with each of his matches.  
Unwillingly he had opened them.  


“Ron , please, promise me one thing….don’t be angry with these women. They didn’t ask for this either. Please make an effort to get to know them. I really don’t want you to martyr yourself on my behalf. Choose the woman you like the most. It will comfort me to know that, while my life will be miserable, you at least will have a possibility of a content life.”  
“Hermione…I” she saw he wanted to challenge her but in the end he just said: “I promise you, my love” and picked up a tear that rolled down her cheeks with his finger.  
“ I have to write these women to set a date for our rendez-vous.” He stood up and a few seconds later Hermione found herself alone.  
It was then a black raven landed on the balcony. She saw the letter on his claw. She freed the bird from its burden and saw the big majestic bird fly away.  


The handwriting on the envelop was one she knew. It had graded her essays for years. “It was really something for the black bat to have his letters delivered by a black bird. Honestly…” she thought.  
Sinking back into her chair, she started to read the letter.

 

Miss Granger  
It seems we have some urgent things to discuss. Meet me this Saturday at 11 am. Crantock beach, Cornwall.  
Severus Snape  
It was a short-to-the-point-note; just as she had expected of him.  
And even so, it took her several hours to write a response that was just as to the point but at least a little bit polite.  
After many failed attempts, laying forgotten on the floor, she settled on: 

 

Professor  
Your proposition is convenient to me. You may expect me at the given place and time.  
Sincerely  
Hermione Granger  


Composing this little letter had actually exhausted her. She went to their little study, where Ron was sitting in front of the laptop he had been given by her father, playing Minesweeper, a game he had come to enjoy immensely.  
“Hi” she spoke softly “ are all your letters out already?”  
He shook his head. “ I can’t seem to finish the one to Lavender. I mean there’s so much unfinished business between us.”  
“Do you want me to help you?”  
Ron’s reaction surprised her. “No, Hermione, I appreciate it. But this is something I have to do on my own.”  
“I understand but I’m exhausted. Would you mind if I already go to bed?” “No, I will be there shorty…after I finish this last letter.”  
She turned to leave but then she heard Ron speak again: “ I will always be there for you, Hermione, I promise…” A smile graced her face. “ Just like you have always been, Ron.”  
“We will not marry until we really have too. So we still have like two months together and I’m planning on spending every possible minute with you.” She pressed her lips so firmly on his that Hermione felt like she could actually bruise his face. After they let go, Hermione headed off to bed.  


But in their large bed, she tossed and turned. When Ron came in about an hour later, she pretended to be asleep. Ron slid into the bed next to her and she felt him bent over to place a gentle kiss on her ear. Then he took her in his arms and they laid together, his knees bent in hers, his freckled arms around her waist. He buried his face into her hair. It was only then, Hermione felt completely comfortable and safe and slowly she drifted away in a deep sleep, leaving the exhausting day behind.


	6. Chapter 6: The importance of first impressions

SATURDAY JULY 14-2001  
Too soon for his liking, it was Saturday. He decided to delay his departure as long as possible. Sitting in his black leather armchair, Snape let his eyes wander swiftly over the headlines of the Daily Prophet. He took a sip of his glass of gin, one of the very few muggle items that came regularly into his quarters. He preferred it widely over butterbeer or Firewhiskey.  
A small announcement caught his eye in the corner of the paper and he turned to page 3.  


The page was written in fluent girly pink letters and was titled: Wedding Announcements.  
He looked swiftly through the list in search of colleagues and ex-students.  
• Kingsley Shacklebolt got engaged to Aurora Sinistra (‘Mmm, the minister got himself an excellent choice of course.’ Snape had thought. He had always admired the young professors logical mind. The thought that Hermione Granger was in that aspect the very same, he shook of quickly.)  
• Dolores Umbridge to Mundungus Fletcher (He couldn’t suppress a chuckle…’poor man! After her release from Azkaban after only 2 years , due to the influence of her old pal Cornelius Fudge, Dolores had quickly regained a high status at the ministry. She had possibly blackmailed Mundungus into engagement with all his illegal practices.)  
• Neville Longbottom to Luna Lovegood (‘Great… two nitwits together’)  
• George Weasley to Padma Patil (‘Hadn’t he been dating miss Johnson, according to the latest rumours? Oh, well…none of his business… .’)

Snape took a look at his grandfather clock and felt he couldn’t delay his departure any longer.  
His changed into his heavy black, travel coat, took his black hat from the top shelf. He watched to the only picture that was standing on his sitting room table. A young version of himself was wearing a paper hat with the number eleven and a young girl with red hair and green eyes let a balloon burst next to his ear, making the young boy jump time and time again. “ I’ll be back soon, Lily” he murmured as he left. With a steady-pass he climbed the stairs leading from his private chambers to the main corridor, intending to go outside to Hogsmeade to Disapparate. He was one of the few people who actually liked the feelings of Apparation. It gave him the feeling of conquering the elements.  


Before reaching the main entrance however, he bumped into professor McGonagall. They hadn’t spoken anymore since their breakfast almost a week earlier. He saw McGonagall inhale a small amount of breath, before addressing him. He smirked a little, she was actually nervous.  
“Severus, are you going out?”  
“Yes” he chose his words carefully. “personal business.”  
“Anything to do with a future engagement?” He saw her eyes burn with a thousand questions but he didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing the answers….yet!  
“mm” he muttered under his breath. McGonagall did her best to sound overly cheerful.  
“I must say, you look smart Severus. I am happy to see that you abandoned your long robes for once. And the hat really suits you. You will make a fine first impression on every witch. Every woman values a good first impression.”  
Severus hissed between his teeth: “This new first impression will never make up the very bad first impression I got of her years ago. Besides, miss Granger never strucked me as the girly type. I don’t think she will care much about ‘first impressions’.  
“What?” Headmistress McGonagall’s face had instantly turned pale and she clasped a hand to her chest.  
“Yes Minerva, that’s right…your favourite student, your little Gryffindor princess…. The ministry actually believes we can make a convincing couple. Or correction….the ministry believes that we WILL make a convincing couple as neither of us have been given other options.” He paused a little, ready to deliver the final blow. “So headmistress, I believe your congratulations are in order. Or more likely your condolences for I’ll be bound to the Insufferable-Know-It-All for the rest of my short life, as I’m sure she’s going to be the death of me. “  


And with this words, he left a gobsmacked headmistress standing in the hallway. His face grim, and his hands deep in his pockets, he set off to Hogsmeade were he could Disapparate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rather short chapter. The next chapter will be a very long, important chapter. 
> 
> I checked the blood status of every one involved at harry potter wiki. As Shacklebolt is a pureblood, I I go for Sinistra (who's listed either pure-or halfblood) as a halfblood. Luna Lovegood and Padma Patil or also listed as purebloods or halfbloods, so in my story they are both halfbloods. Given the information at hand on hp- wiki about the ages of Shacklebolt, Mundungus, Sinistra and Umbridge...they could all be subject to the marriage law.


	7. Another engagement on the beach

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a while to upload this chapter. Because it's such an important chapter to me, I revisited and adjusted it several times...but here it is...enjoy.

SATURDAY July – 14-2001 

 

Hermione climbed the dunes to their meeting point. The wind blew hard and made her hair even fuzzier then it usually was.  
She had left really early that morning cause she wanted to travel by muggle transport in order to clear her head. She had been packed between families with buggies and little children, chatting excited about the day they would spent at the beach.  
It was only ten minutes before the final bus stop that she had looked to her hands, casually folded in her lap. With a shock she realized she wore Ron’s engagement ring. She quickly took it off, wrapped it in a clean handkerchief and put it away in her purse: Going to meet your fiance with your old fiance’s engagement ring on your finger, is just bad taste, even if your new fiance happens to be Severus Snape.  


She had left the families which all went to the main beach and now strode on alone to the small stroke were Snape would be waiting. From the top of the dune, she already saw him, standing with is face to the sea. “Wait, was Snape wearing a hat?” she thought.  
She walked down as slow as she could. When she reached the bottom of the dune, he still hadn’t looked over his shoulder. Would he do that once he heard her coming? Or would he leave her in the difficult situation of addressing him first? O God, she had no idea how to call him. Her mouth went dry when she closed the last meters between them. He still stood with his back towards her.  
She sighted heavily: “P-…professor? Professor Snape?”  
It felt like ages before he turned. His face showed no emotion whatsoever, although Hermione could see his eyes swiftly wander from her head to her feet.  
“Miss Granger.” His voice didn’t sound as severe as she had expected, although it didn’t sound anything close to friendly either. It was his turn to sigh and Hermione couldn’t help but wondering if their meeting caused him more stress then the meetings he had had with lord Voldemort.  
“ Let’s walk to that grey bench over there. I’m not in the mood to stay here standing for the next hour.” He turned on his heels and walked away with big steps. Struck by his haste, Hermione hurried to keep up with him. A few meters further, he suddenly stopped.  
“Please miss Granger, don’t dawdle; you are not a 12-year old school girl anymore.” he said, his back still towards her. Hermione, who had flushed immediately, as if she was indeed still a school girl being told of, was very glad he didn’t see her red cheeks.  
“Take my arm.” She hesitated, then obeyed his request, her fingers barely touching his long black coat. Confused she let him lead her to the bench: Was he fed up with her slower speed? Was he mocking her? Or was it really an act of gallantry?  
An uneasy silence fell once they sat down. Hermione looked at her feet. She didn’t speak: He was the older person, so it was up to him to start.  


 

“Miss Granger….”  
‘Fine… miss Granger it was,… now she had to keep addressing him as.. sir? Professor? Mr Snape?’ The last option just sounded grotesque to her.  
“I went to the ministry and to my utter disappointment there is no way around this. So, I’m stuck with you….and before you fly of the handle” - He raised his hand to stop her from interrupting cause she had already opened her mouth- “I can see you are not happy with me either. The ministry official told me that our union will end another engagement?”  
Hermione swallowed something down. She knew better then to burst into tears before her former potions master. She nodded.  
“ I am sorry to hear that. The fact remains however, that we will have to make the best of our lives together. For a start I will allow you to keep working and to control your own money.  
“You will allow me? Allow me?” Hermione’s voice was shrill from rage. “I'm an independent woman. I'm highly respected at my job. I will be your wife but I will not need your approval to live my life the way I want!! ”  
“As a matter of fact, you will, miss Granger” Snape said clearly irritated “ Please don’t throw a temper tantrum and use your allegedly brilliant mind.”  
But Hermione just stared back, completely puzzled. She saw the smirk around his lips as he continued in the teaching voice she knew so well:  
“ You must have understand by now that, however the official reason for this marriage Law is to have more magical babies, the real purpose is to break the power of most pureblood families. And you also know that, even after Lord Voldemort’s defeat, there are still purebloods with high positions at the ministry. Some acquitted suspects bribed their way back into the ministry….and not all of them have abandoned their ideology of superiority. At least one of them must have been present at these secret meetings of the Wizegamot and once they understood they couldn’t prevent this Marriage Law, the pureblood delegation tried to save the furniture. They demanded a patriarchal form of law in which the man has full say about his wives occupations and finances among other things and where the wife is forced to a certain degree of obedience. That way, they can at least mold the muggleborn brides of their sons into perfect pureblood wives in anything but their blood status. ”  
“But that’s medieval!” Hermione cried shocked. “It is, but they succeeded in their goal. These regulations will be included in the marriage contract every couple will have to sign. Lucius confirmed it to me.”  
Snape raised an eyebrow for Hermione had looked disgusted at the mention of Lucius’ name. „May I remind you that the Malfoys have been acquitted of all charges against them, miss Granger. Lucius IS still my oldest friend so you will meet the Malfoy family from time to time. I don‘t expect you to become instant friends, but what I will expect, is a polite and adult behavior.“  
He stressed out the word adult a little, leaving Hermione again with the feeling that he still thought of her as a child.  
„You will live with me in my Hogwarts quarters. You know you can’t apparate from there but you can use the Floo network to get to your work. As my wife you will be free to go everywhere in the castle and of course you can read everything in the restricted area without needing a permission form”. He smirked openly at her by now.  
“Live with you….at Hogwarts? But….all my former teachers….”  
„A lot of us fell prey to these marriage law…Professor Sinestra will of course have to give up her living quarters at Hogwarts as wife of the minister. But as a head of house and the deputy headmaster I have to be at the premises the whole time and therefore so will you, invading my privacy and personal space."He almost spatted out the last sentence as if her invading his personal space was his worst nightmare. Hermione couldn't help but think that it probably was. "On top of that... now that Hagrid left us temporarily Neville Longbottom will be our gamekeeper, along with becoming an apprentice of Pomona at the start of the schoolyear. I must say, I admire Pomona’s courage to take that thunderhead on. I reckon he will bring his fiance miss Lovegood to the grounds too. “  
“Oh”! Hermione felt a little pang. At one side she was really glad for Neville and Luna. She knew that Neville had been in love with Luna for years and that the feeling was mutual but to this day Neville hadn’t plucked up the courage to tell her. So he must have been glad to find Luna on his match list. But on the other side, they would see her….living with Snape….being unhappy….and she would see them….happy as two people in love could be.  


“So…that leaves the question of when we are going to marry…” Snape’s voice brought her back. “If we send our engagement letter today we will have 2 months to get married. But I want to have this out of the way as term starts and the last 2 weeks of august I have to prepare my courses. So roughly taken we have 1 ½ month.”  
“That soon?” Hermione looked taken aback. “Why do we have to write our engagement letter today? I mean…I haven’t told my parents anything about this yet. I don’t think they will understand this. Me not marrying Ron but my former teacher because of a law…I think I have to explain to them how…”  
“I cannot see how telling your parents before sending our letter would make any difference, given that we have no choice. And besides, once the ministry has our letter, you will have a lot more freedom….You may rest assured that people who wait to get engaged will be more closely monitored by the ministry, especially in their interactions with the opposite sex. “ Hermione let out a demeaning snort but Snape continued with a hint of venom in his voice:  
“So you see, being engaged to me, will give you and Mr. Weasley the chance to bid your farewells in every way you need to….although I strongly advice you not to get pregnant!” Hermione shot him a glance in utter disbelief: Did he really just said that? But the man looked back at her with a blank expression, except for one raised eyebrow.  
“I don’t know what the punishment for conceiving a child out of wedlock will be, but I strongly doubt it will be a light one as adultery will be severely punished.” he said, and this time, he shot her a dark almost warning glance.  
Hermione shuddered and felt her face flushing again. She didn’t feel ready for such a conversation. It brought the whole purpose of the Marriage Law, producing magical children, back to the front of her mind and she didn’t want to think about the man next to her in that way.  
“So, when do you want the ceremony to take place then?” she asked in order to push back all these unwelcome thoughts.  
“ I think Friday the 17th of august will do. I will arrange an appointment at the ministry. And, as is the custom in the Wizarding World, I will provide the rings. All you have to do is show up and bring one guest to act as your witness.  
“Just one?”  
And there was the raised eyebrow again. “Miss Granger, if you want to ask your parents to the ceremony, they will be welcome. But I want it to be quick and efficient. So no fuss, no guest list as long as the ingredient list for Polyjuice potion – I’m sure you know exactly how long that list is, are you not, miss Granger? – and I’m certainly not going to pay for a big party. “  
Hermione had flushed again at the mention of the Polyjuice Potion. (In her second year she had stolen some ingredients for the difficult potion out of Snape’s personal store, but she never knew he knew.) But after the last bit, It was anger that made her cheeks red again.  
“I wasn’t….I don’t want a big…”  
Snape cut her off. “I took the liberty of preparing an engagement letter. You will have to fill in your middle name and sign it. He handed her a piece of parchment.

  

Ms. Hermione………….Granger and mr. Severus Basil Snape hereby announce their engagement and their wish to marry each other within a period of 2 months.  


Hermione recognized the date and Snape’s signature, a rather elegant one, at the bottom.  
Searching her purse, she found a muggle pen, a handkerchief (including Ron’s engagement ring), her apartment keys, wallet, half a role of peppermint, nothing magical though….  
“Euh…sir? Do you perhaps have a quill for me?” He looked at her, shook his head softly as if she was a troublesome kid and pulled a small bottle of ink and a quill out of his pocket.  
She took it from him shakily and wrote her name down. Then she signed at the bottom, next to Snape’s signature. She swallowed hard to keep the tears down. It was final. She was bound to a man she deeply respected, but who she hated a lot more then she liked him. She was lost for Ron now, and that made her sick to the core.  
Next to her, Snape had already got up, and he had put the parchment with the quill and ink back in his pocket.

 

“ I will sent this letter to the ministry and I will inform you when I know the hour of our wedding. I would be grateful if you, in return, would inform me how many wedding guests you will bring and who they will be. Use the time you have left also to make practical arrangements like your apartment, for immediately after the wedding you will be obliged to live with me. I bid you a good day, miss Granger.“  
By the time she got on her feet, and had muttered a „good day….sir“ he had already taken of.  
She fell back on the bench. She was exhausted. How would she be able to live with that man? He was still as short tempered as he had been as her teacher and he made perfectly clear he thought of her as his intellectual inferior. As if she was still his student… With all the tension released, she felt completely numb as she made her way back to the bus stop.  


Later that evening she clenched to Ron like a drowning person. He pulled her in his arms.  
It was nor tender lovemaking, nor lust. It was need. During their relationship they had come to know each other so well in this area: the caresses, the breathless whispers, the melting of their bodies…it all felt natural and so right, that it provided Hermione with the comfort she needed right now.  
Lying together afterwards, Hermione reached for her wand to perform an after-contraception spell (kind of the wizard equivalent to the morning after pill) but Ron held her arm.  
She saw his eyes light up: “Wait….I know we never talked about this…but….If you were to get pregnant with my child before your or my wedding….the ministry can’t possibly force you to marry anyone but me then, right?”  
“No Ron….please”  
Ron stared at her, his mouth open in disbelief.  
“What….? You would rather marry the greasy git and bear his children in the long run, then marry me but get pregnant right now?....We were engaged, remember?“ He sounded genuinely offended.  
Hermione voice sounded both frustrated and tearful when she spoke again: “ Oh Ron, don’t be such a jerk…I have always pictured my children with your ginger hair. If this was what it would take to be together, I would do it immediately. Even when I don’t feel ready to become a mother yet, I would prefer to have your children right now over anything else. But it won’t work….Snape warned me that such an act could get severely punished. And I don’t think I dare to risk it….What good would it do to give birth to a child we love but to end up in Azkaban for it without a chance to see it grow up?”  
Tears were flowing again when she was done talking. Ron still looked like he wasn’t entirely on the same page, but he kissed her in her hair, saying: “You know, I always thought our children would have your brown fuzzy hair.” Hermione smiled and reached for her wand.  
She lay awake silent for a long time, consumed by her own thoughts…and, because she didn’t hear Ron’s snoring, she could tell he did too.


	8. Wedding Planning at the Burrow

FRIDAY JULY 20 2001

The atmosphere in the Burrow was like a funeral, while in fact, they were planning weddings.  
Mrs Weasley was sitting nervously in the midst of her children and their partners with a large agenda in her lap.  
“Our family alone will have 4 marriages in 2 months…it’s insane. How are we going to manage?“  
Harry scraped his throat.  
„ Ginny and I thought we could marry first. Just to be able to have a ceremony with all of you, without your impossed spouses. Just our extended family as it should have been. We were thinking about Saturday in two weeks.”  
Molly had gone white round the nose.  
“2 weeks….your wedding will be the happiest occasion of them all. How will we be able to put on a big feast in that short amount of time?...and where will we get the money in that short amount of time” The last sentence embarrassed her a little, given the fact that she almost whispered it.  
“Ginny and I don’t want a big feast. Just a small ceremony with a couple of friends. We want something small, away from the peeking eyes of the press….and I will pay fort he whole thing. Consider it my rent for all the months I spent at the Burrow during the holidays. “  
“We can’t possibly…”  
“ I insist!” Harry said and he simply refused to listen to any further argument his mother- in- law brought up. So she had no other choice then to write on the calendar: 5th of august, wedding Harry and Ginny.  
“Ron, can I count you in as my best man?”  
“ Of course Harry, although you will have to inform me about what I have to do then ‘cause I don’t have a clue.” Ron smiled faintly at his friend.  
Ginny addressed Fleur. “Dear Fleur, do you want to be my maid of honor? I really want to return the favor of making me the godmother of Victoire. And besides," she said while she winked at the French woman, "there’s no one here who knows better how to throw a party, even if it will be a small one.”  
“Of courz Gin” Fleur almost smothered Ginny in her embrace.  
“And Angelica and Hermione, I would love to have you by my side, as my brides maids. Even when you can’t marry my brothers now, you are family.  
Hermione smiled warmly to the redheaded witch and her blackhaired boyfriend next to her, and Angelina pulled Ginny in an embrace which was even tighter then Fleur's had been, and when she finally released the younger witch from her grip, tears could be seen in her eyes. 

“When do you have to go back; Charlie?” George asked “I would love you to be my best man at my wedding and Padma desperately wants it to be the 9 of August, ‘cause she claimed to have read something about a particularly good conjunction of Mars and Jupiter.”  
Hermione stifled a giggle. Harry and Ron didn’t even try and burst out in laughter. Padma’s sister Parvati, a fellow Griffyndor had always been really serious about Divination, a course that had been taught by professor Trenawley, a woman who the golden trio thought to be a fraud. But given the fact that Padma was Parvati’s identical twin sister, it didn’t surprise them that Padma believed in Divination too.  
“Please guys, stop it, she’s actually a nice person.” George sighted. Next to him, Angelina again battled against tears. George obviously felt guilty ‘cause he didn’t dare to look at her.

The evening before, upon arriving at the Burrow, George had told Hermione about their past week. He had been really reluctant to go on a date with either of his given matches, but he fact that both he and Padma hath lost their twin during the battle of Hogwarts had given them a lot to talk about and they could understand each other in a way only peers can. The fact she understood his grief over the loss of his other half, made George decide to marry her. Angelina on the other hand had been less lucky in her options. Only two days after she received her letter, one of her possible matches wrote her he was going to marry another girl on his list, before even meeting Angelina. So she was left with only 2 possible options: Either Graham Montague , former slytherin Quiddich captain who Angelina loathed, due to his disrespect and cheating during many Quiddich matches, or a halfblood wizard named David Marble, who was an employee at the Department of Magical Games and Sports and was principal of the official Gobstones Club. Angelina could indeed recall him playing Gobstones a lot at Hogwarts together with some of his geeky Ravenclaw friends. But as he was three years her senior, and as she wasn’t interested in Gobstones at all, they never really talked.  
“They have only matched us because we both work at the same department, but he’s only interested in Quiddich as a supporter and he’s really bad at flying a broom” Angelina had wept on Georges shoulder they evening after they dated. “And his silly Gobstones are boring”. But to escape a marriage to the cruel Montague, her rival quidditch team captain, she had accepted Marbles proposal.  
George only invited his best man Charlie and his parents to the wedding ceremony because Padma’s family wanted to invite the whole Weasley-family in India to have a big celebration with their family over there in a few months. Angelina would marry the very same day, in a ceremony with her Hogwart-friends and former Quiddich teammates present: Oliver Wood, Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell and she also invited Harry, who accepted. She apologized to the entire Weasley-clan but they all understood that it would be too painful for her to have any oft hem there. 

 

Charlie also opted for a quick private marriage ceremony in the early hours of Monday the 13th of august, before travelling back to Romania by plane. His muggleborn fiancee Julia liked to travel and had insisted she wanted to fly comfortably to her new homeland. Not on the back of a broomstick, let alone a dragon or by Apparition and accessory nausea. Mr. Weasley, excited to set foot on an airport had agreed to drop them off, together with the girl’s parents. Mrs. Weasley was less pleased with his idea of a wedding and she didn’t back off until Charlie promised to invite at least all his siblings and their spouses to the wedding ceremony and to take his parents and in-laws to lunch before boarding the plane. 

And then the attention shifted: Ron and Hermione found all eyes on them but neither oft hem was willing to speak first;  
„Hermione?“ Mr Weasley spoke friendly „Did you and Severus already made some arrangements?"  
In hindsight, Hermione couldn’t remember what made her snap: The use of Snapes given name? Mr. Weasleys obvious concern for her well-being?  
„That’s none of your bloody business, is it? I’m not YOUR daughter, am I? And for your information: None of you is invited for the feast ‚cause my dear fiance finds it rubbish to WASTE money on his wedding. „ she spat venomous as she ran out of the room

Sitting on the stairs, her arms wrapped up underneath her head on her lap, Hermione could feel someone taking the place next to her. She let go her strength and dropped her head on Harry’s shoulder who gently put his arm around her. They just sat for a while, without talking. Hermione turned to her best friend who understood her without words.  
„Harry, our appointment is at the 17th of August. Can you please be there? I will need your support. I want you to be my witness”  
“I will be there for you, I promise, Hermione. And if Snape doesn’t treat you with the égards every bride is entitled to, he will have me to answer to. „  
His feisty words hit a nerve. She suddenly started crying.  
“O Harry, I don’t think I can cope with it. I don’t know what to do… I haven’t told my parents yet that I’m no longer engaged to Ron , let alone that I’m going to marry a man hardly a few years younger then my father. But…but they are my parents….I want them to be there at my wedding….If I am unlucky, it might be the only wedding I’ll ever have.  
“You can’t hide it from them, Hermione….if you’re going to your parents I’ll come with you if you want…as a moral support.”  
“I would love that, Harry. It’s just ….they are gonna be heartbroken. They are so fond of Ron. And ever since he asked me to marry him, they started to picture a wedding as perfect a could be, as I did …actually. Yeah, I know I’m not a girly girl but I also had my dreams for my big day. “ She smiled faintly.  
“Please Hermione, don’t care one bit about what Snape might think. If you want a beautiful dress, then buy it, if you want your father to walk you down the aisle, he will. And I will support you every step of the way…”  
Hermione's cheeks started to glow….“Thank you….you are the best….”  
But she couldn’t finish her sentence. A shrill highly worried scream drifted towards them from the living room.  
“Ron, are you insane? You will end up in Azkaban. Don’t throw your life away like that!!”  
Hermione sighted „They know….“  
“They know what?”  
“That Ron hasn’t chosen a spouse yet”.  
Harry gasped at her “ What? How many days has he left?”  
“We got our letter the 9nd of july, so he has like three days left. The thing is he knows who he’s going to marry, but he don’t want to face it yet. Actually shé wrote him if they could get engaged after their date. She would wait for him. But you know Ron: If he didn’t want to marry Lavender, he would already been engaged to any of the other women by now.”  
“So you think, he will choose Lavender, even given their history together? “  
“Yes, I think so…the first date he went on was with a reserve player of the Chudley Cannons. He liked that they flew a little bit together but he felt she was quiet self-centred, not really interested in him. And besides, she was a much better flyer of course. You know how sensitive he is to that. „ she winked at Harry.  
„And his second date he happened to know after all…well sort of…. You remember the Cattermoles…?. When we were trying to get Umbridgse locket, Ron transformed into Mr. Cattermole, while his wife was interrogated by Umbridge. Well, turned out Rons second match is Mrs. Cattermole younger sister, Jolanda. She was in Diggoreys year in Hufflepuff. It seems like the whole family thinks they own Ron something, ‘cause he ‘saved’ Mrs. Cattermole from her interrogation and advised them to leave the country. During their date, she kept referring to it…Ron told me he felt quite uncomfortable with the situation. So that’s why he don’t want to marry her. So that only leaves Lavender. „  
„Ouch, let’ s hope for him that Lavender’s past her Won-won-phase“ Harry added thoughtfully.  
„Well he said their date was pleasant enough. The war has changed her too, you know, as it has all of us. She also lost friends….and I think I would prefer Ron to marry someone with whom he’s on friendly bases, well sort of, instead of a complete stranger.“ Hermione said with a weird croaked voice.  
Harry again pulled her closer. „You will never be alone. You will always have us Hermione: Ginny, me….ànd Ronald. No matter how your life with Snape will be, you will always be loved.”  
She smiled „We should go and save Ron from your mother –in-law. “ She paused a little bit “I would love to go to my parents next week…on Saturday. Does that suits you?“  
Harry nodded. 

With a newly found Griffyndor-courage, Hermione said to herself: “ I will help Ron. His engagement letter to Lavender will go out tomorrow“ before she opened the door to the living room where Mrs. Weasley was still screaming at her youngest son.


	9. Mr. and Mrs. Potter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The break before updating was a little longer than expected.  
> I had a lot of difficulty with this chapter: the writing, as well as the structure. So I hope it turned out alright. 
> 
> Enjoy.

SATURDAY AUGUST- 5 -2001

Hermione rushed out of Ginny’s room. In order to pick some extra flowers in the garden to put into Ginny’s bridal bouquet, she had told the others. In reality to hold back the tears she felt behind her eyes. 

“O sorry George” she managed to say while she bumped into the redhead who was decorating the front door of the Burrow with Chinese lanterns. 

She ran, unseen, past Mr. Weasley, Charlie, and Percy who were putting up the feast tent by magic. (It was exactly the same tent as on Bill and Fleur’s wedding.. At some points you could still see marks from defensive and offensive spells, cast by party guests and Death Eaters alike on that dreadful day).  
She sat down against the hedge which retrieved the Burrow from Muggleviews.  
She had been in Ginny’s room, dressing her up together with Molly, Angelina and Fleur and seeing Ginny in her white dress with flowers in her hair, had been too much. The happiness radiating from the younger witch had filled the room. There had been joy and laughter and all of the sudden Hermione knew that this where memories she would never have. Her own wedding day wasn’t going to be like this. 

Her mother wasn’t going to dress her up, she wasn’t going to be picked up by her future husband at her childhood home. She was extremely lucky that her parents would be attending the ceremony at all. 

The visit to her parents had been disastrous. There had been shouting and crying. Hermione’s father had called Snape several names not suitable to repeat. Once it became clear to her parents, that as an English witch, Hermione couldn’t escape the law, they tried to convince her to return to the Muggle world.  
“You’re so bright Hermione, you will get your high school degree in no time, if you study at home. And then you can go to the university and become whatever you want.” her mother had put forward.  
It had made her heart sunk, as much from disappointment as from grief. After all this time, her parents still thought that being a witch was like choosing a profession. A job you could change for another if it didn’t satisfy you anymore. Why couldn’t they understand that being a witch wasn’t about what you did but about who you were…that it was the centre of her person?  
Unfortunately, Harry hadn’t been particularly helpful either: “You want your daughter to leave the world she helped to save? Do you know how many have died to make sure muggleborns are still welcome in the wizarding world?” It had worked like a red rag to a bull. Frank Granger had raged so exceedingly, he reminded Harry of uncle Vernon: “That’s another thing….What kind of a world is that were the adults let children fight their wars? How could they allow children to fight without informing the parents?” Hermione had sighed: “We weren’t forced to fight….we choose to….because if we had lost, everyone would have been affected…adult or not…” She knew her parents still hadn’t forgiven her entirely for the fact that she erased their memories and made them to emigrate to Australia. She could understand it. She had in a way controlled them, and denounced them free choice….All with the best intentions, but when her father yelled at her, she couldn’t help but feel extremely guilty. Was she guilty of a very mild form of muggle oppression, the very same thing they had fought against?…. Luckily, that thought only lingered for a very short time, ‘cause mrs. Granger had started to cry again, demanding Hermione’s attention.

It was only after Harry came up with examples of other young wizards and witches who had also been mismatched or had to end their current relationships, that the Grangers seemed to get the bigger picture. (Hermione was entirely grateful that her parents forgot to ask Harry about his match). In the end they grudgingly agreed to come to the ceremony, although Hermione knew her father would object to the marriage if he could. So, she didn’t tell him the ceremony – in all likelihood- wouldn’t include the words: "If anyone knows of any reason these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace.” 

When she heard a field mouse rustle in the hedge, she got up, picked a few random flowers and made her way back to the Burrow, steeling herself for a day of happiness. 

Half an hour later a visibly nervous Harry and a grinning Ron and Bill were knocking at the door of the Burrow. Ron and Bill had spent the day at Grimmaulds place with Harry, helping him, teasing him and making sure he didn’t do a runner.  
Hermione smiled at her best friend as he looked gobsmacked when Ginny descended the stairs, in a simple but beautiful white chiffon dress, contrasting beautifully with her ginger hair, graced with small pink flowers.  
Hermione couldn’t help but get a little teary- eyed when she saw Ron and his brothers: all looking at their little sister with such a tender expression. It was hard to say which one was most proud. 

When Ginny jumped into Harry’s arms everyone in the room started cheering and clapping.  
It was Mr. Weasley who said: “ We’ll have to hurry or we’ll miss our appointment at the ministry.” 

It took a while for the whole family to floo to the ministry. By the time Hermione and Angelina climbed out the fireplace, they only had ten minutes left until the start of the ceremony. Together they walked through the ministry hall towards the department where Percy worked. The big doors closed, a red carpet rolled out into the atrium and the words ” Department of Magical Marriages, Wizarding Weddings and Charming Children” decorated with ugly flying paper Cupids. All of the already flood Weasleys and Harry were waiting outside. “There’s another ceremony still going on. I hope they are done before Ginny and Mr. Weasley arrive. I want her to be able to walk down the aisle towards me.” Harry said. His wish was granted, because at the same moment the doors flew wide open and two rather miserable looking middle-aged people came out. The man was holding a marriage contract and was comforting his crying daughter, whilst his new wife was scolding at her own son because he had cut of his new stepsister’s ponytail during the ceremony.  
Hermione thought it was better not to congratulate them when they past so she followed Harry and the others.  
They now stood in the big room that had served as a waiting room the last time Ron and Hermione were here and ministry employees were hasty lining up white chairs for the significantly larger bridal party at this wedding. At the front there was a desk with two chairs, where a ministry official was collecting his stuff. Percy walked up to greet him, talked a little bit and then laid out his own stuff on the desk.  
As it was his sister’s wedding, his boss had granted him the honor to lead the wedding ceremony and wed the couple.  
When they heard some noise at the door, everyone hurried to their seats. Hermione sat between Fleur and Angelina on the front row, next to Mrs. Weasley. Harry stood next to the desk, shouldered by Ron.  
And then they all waited in anticipation…

The door flew open once again. As soon as the doors opened, Hermione heard a faint but beautiful sound. Little silver bells, attached to the back of their white chairs, made a lovely sound. When Ginny walked in, at a proud mr. Weasley’s arm, she seemed to float.  
And then, she was standing next to Harry, With a smile, Mr. Weasley kissed her and placed her hand in Harry’s. 

They knew it would be a quick ceremony, because the ministry wanted to marry as many couples as possible in one day but Percy had nonetheless succeeded in including some nice anecdotes in his speech.

“May I now ask both partners to hand out their wand? By binding your lives, you will also bind your magic. 

Ginny, do you promise to love and respect Harry as long as you shall live? Do you promise to be faithful to him and to work together to create a beautiful home for you and your family? Do you promise to support each other and walk together on every path life will offer you?”  
“ I do”  
“Harry, do you promise to love and respect Ginny as long as you shall live? Do you promise to be faithful to her and to work together to create a beautiful home for you and your family? Do you promise to support each other and walk together on every path life will offer you?” 

“ I will” said Harry.  
Gold sparks flew from the ends of the two wands, the sparks became small bands, entwining Ginny’s and Harry’s hand. 

“Congratulations! You are married now.” Percy said with a broad smile. “You may kiss your bride.” 

Harry wholeheartedly did and the whole room erupted in cheers. Hermione heard some muffled sobs and to her surprise she saw Mr. Weasley blew his nose in a large handkerchief . George was waltzing in the middle of the room with his mother and Hermione couldn’t help herself at the sight of them and erupted in a happy laughter.

A merry party left the hated Department ten minutes later.

It was only late that afternoon, after the meal in the Weasley’s garden, that Hermione questioned the phrasing of the vows. The ministry definitely had had a hand in them, because of the strong emphasis on family. But would they include love as a standard phrase in every wedding ceremony? She doubted it. Maybe she could ask Percy about it later. She stood up to clear the last glasses on the table. She wanted to join the others who were already inside but at that moment, Ron came back out with two glasses of wine. 

He fell into the chair next to her’s,  
“How are you going to answer the questions?” he asked.  
“What do you mean? What questions?”  
“Come one Hermione…the guests will be arriving in an hour. This is a wedding and everybody knows about the Wizarding Law. They will bomb us with questions. Especially you…you and Snape never published your engagement in the Daily Prophet. .”  
“I don’t know…it’s not a big party….Hagrid, Madame Maxime, McGonagall, Neville, Luna, …they all have a connection with Hogwarts….I think the whole staff knows it by now.”  
“You’re forgetting my large family, Hermione. Try to stay away from my great aunt Muriel, for she knows we were dating.”  
“Thanks for the advice….I hope we can get through the day without too much embarrassments.”  
“To Ginny and Harry!” said Ron and they toasted, and drank as George came out and started to light the Chinese lanterns. 


	10. Dance like there's no tomorrow

SATURDAY 8-5-2001

In the evening those Chinese lanterns and the dancing lights inside the tent gave the garden a fairy-tale look. Guests were starting to arrive. They were greeted by the happy couple at the entrance of the tent. After being pulled in an tight hug and being pinched in the cheeks by two elderly cousins of Molly, Ron had had enough and he, Hermione, George, Angelina and Percy searched for a table at the other end of the tent. A wedding band was playing and Bill was dancing, or merely, turning in slow circles with his one year old daughter Victoire. 

“I can’t wait to dance with my daughter.” Percy looked towards the entrance where his wife Audrey was talking to Fleur, while holding her baby daughter Molly in her arms.  


“Company…”Percy’s voice had gone dark all of the sudden. He pointed towards the 2 men approaching their table: his father and….Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Kingsley Shacklebolt: Trusted Order member, fierce fighter for good in the Battle of Hogwarts, Minister of Magic and the man who had thrown all of them under the bus: The inventor of the Marriage Law.

All the young people around the table reacted. Hermione saw the menacing look on George’s face, Ron’s clenched fist, Angelina’s thin lips. She gritted her teeth….They were going to challenge him. He owed them answers.

It was obvious Shacklebolt felt he wasn’t welcome, but he sat down anyway.  
“Good evening all”.  
“Shacklebolt!” George was the only one who managed to answer the greeting. But they had been on friendly terms for years so the use of the minister’s surname was a clear indication of his malcontent.  
“Wonderful day!” Shacklebolt continued. He pointed at Harry and Ginny. “Beautiful couple!”  
That had been the wrong thing to say.  
“Yes, THAT’s a beautiful couple indeed!” Ron snapped back.  
Shacklebolt sighed. Hermione saw he was tired. He had dark lines under his eyes.  
“ I know how you must feel…to pass the Marriage Law was the hardest decision the ministry had to make since the fall of Voldermort. I was against the law from the very moment Dolores Umbridge propositioned it. But a lot of people do really fear that the power of the Wizarding World has diminished drastically. And sadly for us, the Wizengamot is full of people of a certain age, who are already married. People are always prepared to take drastic measures if the measures only apply to others, so the majority of the Wizengamot voted in favor of this law. There was nothing I could do to prevent it. I could only make sure every member of the voting would keep quiet about it, in order to avoid panic.  
Actually, thanks to you, Hermione. I used your idea of the cursed parchment for Dumbledore’s Army. “  
Shacklebolt gave her a smile, but Hermione didn’t move.  
“ After the initial voting, I worked out the details with 15 other officials. I wanted to avoid the rise of too strong pureblood families again so I put in some restrictions about who would be able to marry who. Sadly, the committee of officials included a fair share of pureblood and more-closeminded- halfblood wizards who pushed through a rather patriarchal form of marriage and had a rather large hand in the matching process of the individual witches and wizards.”

He fell silent, as was everybody else around the table. Hermione felt her anger lessen a bit. It had been foolish to think that Kingsley had propositioned the law. Now she thought of it, the Marriage Law had “Umbridge” written all over it. That old toad! The ministry didn’t make her head of the Department of Marriage but she obviously still had a fat finger in the pie ..  
“ I am really sorry” Shacklebolt said after a long pause. “Your generation has sacrificed so much already to save our world . And now we are asking to sacrifice your personal happiness in order for that same world to survive.” He looked to each of them with an apologetic smile.  
“Thank you." It was Ron who spoke. “ Thank you for at least trying to save us from this law.”  
“I hope it will all turn out for the best for all of you!" The minister fumbled nervous with his pocket watch. "You know, marriage isn’t that bad." "he said, more to himself than to them. I was matched by the same process as you…and I’m quite happy with Aurora, professor Sinistra, as my wife. “ After these words he got up and nodded shortly. “ I’ll be off. I just wanted to pay a courtesy visit to the newlyweds.” He got ‘kind of a goodbye’ from Ron and Hermione but Angelina was still looking furious. “Easy for him to say…Aurora Sinistra is a far less boring person than David Marble.” “I’ve never seen Kingsley like this….this whole law is weighing heavily on him….” Arthur Weasley remarked, then adding in a far more cheerful voice; “ I see your mother is serving drinks. If someone else would want to take over, we can go back to greeting newly arrived guests.” Ron and Hermione followed but halfway to the bar they were stopped by a familiar voice.  
“Ron! Hermione!” Luna flew around Ron’s neck, Neville and her father followed in her footsteps. “Wonderful to see you again! Do you know where we can put our present? They will keep away the Nurgels and give Harry and Ginny pleasant dreams.” She held out two nightcaps in a vomit-like color in the form of a giant wine bottle. Ron stifled a giggle and made a gesture to the side of the tent….”There’s a gift table somewhere over there.” Mr. Lovegood took the caps from his daughter and left the four of them.  
“This is such a lovely decorated place for a wedding. Neville and I are going to keep our wedding simple too. On the grounds of Hogwarts, we think, next to the lake. It will be wonderful to live there again, now that Neville is gamekeeper . “  
“You two must definitely come and visit us soon. And then we’ll invite Harry and Ginny to…that will be wonderful: three married couples, together again at the place where they all met…” Neville sounded quite excited at the prospect.  
Hermione’s mouth had gone dry… Her friends didn’t know.  
“ We don’t…Hermione and I, we…we’re not….engaged to each other. We weren’t matched.”  
Neville looked genuinely shocked: “But that’s terrible…we all assumed you would because you were already together for such a long time. Then, who are your partners?”  
“I’m going to marry Lavender…we announced our engagement in the Daily Prophet.”  
“We only read the Quibbler these days….do you know a grave of Crumple-Horned Snorkack- skeletons is discovered in Africa?“ Luna asked in her soft dreamy way. But everyone ignored her question.  
“And what about you Hermione? Which genius is going to marry the brightest witch of our generation?” Neville showed a genuine interest and Hermione swallowed one more time before she told him an outright lie: She could imagine how horrified Neville would look when she would tell him she had to marry the tormentor of his teenage years. And she knew she couldn’t bear that look.  
“ Some deputy head at the department of the magical law enforcement. He never went to Hogwarts so you won’t know him. But it’s a smart guy, that’s true.” 

“You definitely will get an invitation for mine and Lavender’s wedding , mate. “ Ron said, giving Neville a pat on the shoulder. “Although we’re still discussing where we’re going to give the party. Lavender wants to hold it on an open spot in a forest. But I’m quite against that. All the spiders and other creatures….not really an ideal spot for a wedding feast, don’t you think?”  
Hermione smiled. Dear Ron, to shift the focus back towards him.’  
“Oh, but a the forest is lovely. You can use fireflies and glowworms to illuminate the place.” Luna stepped into the conversation and Hermione knew they wouldn’t come back to the subject of her marriage for a very long time. 

Hours and several pints of butterbeer and tons of cauldron cakes later, most of the party guests had left, the light of the lampions had grown dim and the band kept to very slow dance numbers. 

Ginny and Harry were dancing closely as were mr. and mrs. Weasley, Percy and Audrey and Bill and Fleur. George and Angelina were nowhere to be seen, Charlie was playing hide and seek with Victoire and Hermione was rocking a sleeping Molly in her arms. Ron sat next to her, looking at her with a tender expression.

All in all, the evening had gone better than expected. Hagrid had pulled her into a big hug the moment he saw her. She could tell he knew, but he didn’t talk nor asked her about it. He only said: “ I’ll be back at Hogwarts before the school year is over and if you need me in the meantime, never hesitate to write. “ She had felt a wave of gratitude and had given him a brave smile when he patted her clumsy on the head.  
At one point, she had seen professor McGonagall coming towards her. Hermione had made a rather pretentious demi-tour and had walked away. The young woman felt rather bad about it, but McGonagall was smart enough to understand she didn’t want to talk about Snape right now. They would have plenty of opportunities to talk to one another in the years to come. So the older witch only greeted Hermione and Ron shortly as she walked towards the dessert table in order to try – and study no doubt- one of the Weasleys'_Wizard_Wheezes’ Canary Creams, which transfigures the eater temporarily into a canary. 

But all of them were gone now and only the extended Weasley-family remained.  
“Time to put this little one to bed.” Percy said and he lifted Molly from Hermione’s arms. “Don’t finish the last bottle of wine without me.” Ron laughed wholeheartedly. “Haha, Percy really has become a far more relaxed guy by marrying Audrey. Hermione, do you want to dance?”  
She was a little startled by the question. Ron had never been much of a dancer.  
But then Hermione laid her hand in his…  
“Yes, let’s dance…let’s dance like there will be no tomorrow.”


	11. Silver for a snake, gold for a lioness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will answer the question Hermione had, regarding the wedding vows. Next up will be the wedding day.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 9th 2001

The cheerful ringing of the shop doorbell was in shrill contrast with Snape’s bad mood.  
With his lips pressed in a thin line he studied some of the rather expensive looking rings on display. Rings with opals, rings with diamantes. No way he was going to spend that amount of money on a useless ornament.  
A small goblin with a few plucks of white hair left, came out of the back and greeted Snape with a rather nasty grin.  
“Good day to you, sir. Lovely day to buy your wedding rings,.” Snape let out a demeaning snort, but the goblin didn’t seem to care. “ We don’t see it that often anymore that a man clings to the tradition of purchasing the wedding rings alone. We see a lot of couples in here, doing it together. And between you and me, most men just bow to their fiancées wishes. Although, since the instalment of that glorious Marriage Law, the percentage of men doing the shopping singlehandedly, has slightly increased again.”  
Snape looked at the creature with a blank expression and watched the goblin pull out several beautiful rings out of several drawers.  
“Did you discuss with your intended what kind of ring you want?”  
“I want something extremely simple” Snape replied and he saw the smile on the goblin’s face crack, but only for a very short moment.  
“I want a small golden ring for her and a larger silver one for me. On the golden ring I want a snake figure in a greenish metal, on the silver one a small lion figure pictured from the side, made of red gold. No stones, no additional curls and ornaments, no inscriptions.”  
“I will have to melt the metals in order to make the figurines. If you are willing to wait, the rings will be ready in an hour and you can take them with you.”  
“I’ll be back in an hour” Snape said and he walked out the door. He left the shop and walked along Diagon Alley to Slug & Jiggers Apothecary. His personal ingredient stores needed refilling.

An hour later he returned to Ragnuk & Sons: smith & lapidary. The two rings were ready: simple but nonetheless clear examples of great craftsmanship. And they displayed his initial idea very well: the binding of two houses. “Here they are, sir. My assistant will see to the payment.” The Goblin greeted Snape again with a mocking grin and left.  
Severus felt a strong urge to strangle the goblin. Non-human inhabitants of the wizarding community , like house-elves and goblins and even wizards with more than 1/4 non-human blood weren’t subjected to the Marriage Law. It was obvious the proud goblin was happy about the current misfortune of the wizards and witches, who treated his kind often as second-rate. 

“I will put the rings in a box, sir.” He hadn’t heard the shop assistant coming. “But first you will have to choose the phrasing of the wedding vows. The ministry wants to know your choice before the ceremony as the kind of magic you will share with your spouse, is different for all of the vows.”

Snape looked at the list she showed him and immediately skipped the first option talking about love .  
He was about to choose the option which spoke of marriage as a rather liberal business arrangement where each partner had to make compromises when his eye fell on the most patriarchal of the vows.  
It was a bit harsh in some ways, but Snape could see the benefits in other ways.  
There was no denying Snape was a proud man. And although, somewhere very, very, very deep down he knew the situation wasn’t easy for miss Granger either, he wanted to have the upper hand in their marriage. He wasn’t going to be made a Laughingstock. This last phrasing of marriage vows stressed out obedience from the wife to her husband quite strongly. The husband, on the other hand would be obliged to protect his wife from any danger. Snape knew this could be a way to show her his worth. For he knew, as his fiancée was the best friend of Harry Potter, that danger would come to their doorstep sooner or later.  
These patriarchal vows were the ones he choose. Hermione was going to hate the kind of marriage they represented but there was nothing she would be able to do after all. She wasn’t going to hear the vows before the wedding ceremony. 

The shop assistant handed him the rings in a small wooden box. He paid the 28 galleons, 9 Sickles and 13 Knuts, once again imprecating the Marriage Law.

When he walked with angry steps to the Leaky Cauldron, Snape vowed he would lock the rings away in the furthest drawer of his wardrobe. There they would stay untill the wedding day… and he would celebrate his last week as a bachelor with all the peace and quiet he could get.


	12. The Wedding day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As no middle name is given for Snape in the cannon, I have chosen a middle name.

Thursday 17 -August - 2001

 

It had been a hot summer night and the pressing warmth fell upon her as soon as she stepped out of the apartment building.  
The street lights were still shining although almost all of the darkness of the night had gone.  
Hermione listened as a distant church bell stroke six. She clenched her purse more tightly and let her thoughts wander to Ron, asleep in the bed of their – now his- apartment on the top floor.  
She had deliberately left without waking him. He would find a goodbye note with the breakfast she had prepared for him as a last act of love.  
She just couldn’t bear another goodbye. For her, the goodbye had been yesterday evening, when they ate their last meal together. When they cried together over their photo-album, which they had split into two smaller ones. When they had stared in each other’s eyes, uttering every gentle word and promise they could think of. When they made love for the last time, caressing each other’s body, trying to imprint every detail into their memory forever. As she fell asleep in Ron’s arms, Hermione had decided she would be gone when he would wake.  
So this morning she had propped her small photo-album in her magically-enlarged purse, together with the last maroon pull Ron had gotten from his mother for Christmas. She left her copy of ‘The tales of Baker the Bard, at his bedside. It comforted her a little that he would read it and shake his head at the drabbles she had left on the pages during their Horcrux-hunt.  
Then she had dressed in a simple black blouse and skirt, and had packed her last bits of clothing.  
Most of her stuff and her trunk she had sent to Hogwarts yesterday, as well as Crookshanks in his basket. She had felt a strange satisfaction at the thought of a bad tempered Potions’s master, who would find an unannounced ginger cat in his quarters  
Hermione had drunk a quick cup of coffee, sitting on one of the chairs she and Ron had purchased together. “What would happen once Lavender comes to live here? Would se want to redecorate? Erase every trace of another woman in her husband’s life?” Hermione had felt certain Snape would not allow HER to redecorate his quarters.  
After preparing some sandwiches for Ron, she had left. Half a minute later she was back. Again, she went to the kitchen. Ron didn’t like coffee so she could as well take the beans and the coffee machine with her;  
Then she couldn’t think of any reason to stay anymore. 

 

The last stroke of six died out as Hermione made her way to the Ministry. The long walk helped her to compose herself by the time she reached the visitor’s entrance. She went inside the telephone box and dialled 62442.  
“Name and reason for your visit” a female voice asked.  
“Marriage” Hermione spat back quite violently. A badge rolled into the metal chute: “Hermione Granger- bride” and the box sank through the floor.  
When she stepped out, the atrium was still deserted, apart from Eric, the security guard.  
“Miss Granger” he said surprised as soon as he spotted her. “You’re early. So eager to come to work? And why didn’t you use the Floo Network? Now, I have to bother with checking your wand and…”  
“I’m not here for work today, Eric.” she sighed. She handed him her wand and badge. “Oh!” A difficult expression flew over his face. “ Well…Congratulation? And the best of luck!” It was always difficult to know what to wish for these arranged marriages. And Eric had no idea how Hermione felt about her marriage until she responded: “Thank you, I will need it.” She took her wand and badge back and walked to the middle of the great atrium.  
As soon as she sat down on the cold marble of the fountain, she regretted her choice to come this early. The emptiness of the hall seemed a dark forebode of the lonely life that awaited her. To silence the fear, raising in her stomach, Hermione started to count the small white dots on the tiles beneath her feet. 46…47…48  
From time to time a shadow fell upon the tiles -Department heads who wanted some work done before their employees would come in and bother them with questions, a Leacky Couldron -employee delivering rolls, cauldron cakes and pumpkin juice ordered for lunch. But Hermione took no notice of the passing figures. 89…90..91…92

“I knew I would find you here this early.” Harry stood next to her, holding out a paper back.  
“Harry, how did you…?”  
“I know you Hermione.”, he simply said. “As I know too that you haven’t had breakfast.”  
“I drank some coffee.”  
“Hermione, you have to eat. I don’t want you to faint later. Here I brought you a bun and some dark chocolate. If chocolate works with Dementors, it might also work with professor-Snapes.”  
Hermione gave him a faint smile for that feeble joke and took the chocolate he handed her.  
As the chocolate bar gave her something to do, she nibbled it but it didn’t really make her feel better. It was, however, quite obvious that Potter tried everything to keep her mind of what was about to happen. He brought up lightly topics, skilfully avoiding Hermione’s wedding, his wedding to Ginny, or weddings in general. Equally skilful he avoided the topics of his married life and married life in general and Viktor, Ron, Cho or exes in general. Because of this constant chitchat Hermione hardly noticed that the inflow of Ministry workers had increased and that the first couples had already entered the Marriage Department.  
But when Harry tried to distract her to obvious by saying that the statue on the fountain was quite beautiful when she knew he hated it because of what had happened in these hall the night Sirius died, she took a glance over her shoulder. A head with ginger hair moved towards the elevators. Mr. Weasley, perhaps even Ron? She swallowed hard. “I want to get out of here.” Harry took her by the shoulder and guided her back to the visitor’s entrance and to Muggle- London. The fresh air did more for her than the chocolate and Hermione took in large breaths. They headed towards one of the buzzier shopping streets around and Hermione literally ran into the first dress shop she saw. She started to pull dresses from the racks in a frantic way, rather to the dismay of the woman behind the desk. It was quite obvious Hermione had chosen a shop rather above her price point. She dropped the dresses in Harry’s hands and strode towards the fitting rooms.  
Harry had always resented shopping for clothes. As a child he never did it, because he just got Dudley’s old robes and the school robes where always tailor made by madame Malkins. This habit of buying tailor made clothes he had taken into adulthood so he never spent much time on trying on things which probably wouldn’t fit.  
But he saw it gave Hermione something to do so he followed her, his arms loathed with dresses in red, green and icy blue. When they left 50 minutes later, after handing all the dresses back to the now really-sour-looking clerk, Hermione became all withdrawn, fumbling at her jacket and almost extremely nervous. But by 10.30, when they re-entered the Ministry, the Hermione that everyone respected so much, had emerged. The Hermione Harry knew from their Horcrux-hunt: smart, brave, loyal and thriving under pressure. With a self-conscious step she walked towards the double doors of the Department of Marriage. Harry and Hermione immediately recognised the distinctive tartan outfit of the woman waiting in front of the door. 

 

Their old head of house greeted them, with a worried look on her face.  
“Are you ready for this, Hermione?”  
Hermione gave a firm nod, but looked at her shoes. The elder witch lifted Hermione’s chin so she could look her in the eyes.  
“Miss Granger, you are both extremely intelligent beings with strong personalities. I know from my own experience with Albus that strong personalities can have bitter arguments, but at the same time can held an enormous respect and even friendship for one another. I’m sure you and Severus will find a way to make this work. And if you EVER need a listening ear, a friend at Hogwarts, my door is always open for you.”  
Hermione felt a wave of gratitude towards the witch who had been an example and a mentor to her. “Thank you, professor. Can I ask you something? My parents will arrive here shortly and I’m sure they shall still try to talk me out of this. My father will still try to convince me to go back to the muggleworld. And…And I know I can’t deal with that right now. Could you please, intercept them for me? “  
Her words hadn’t gone cold or a cry parted the air. “Hermione!!” Mrs. Granger almost threw herself around her daughter’s neck. She hugged her as if she would never let her daughter go again. Mr. Granger, dressed in a suit at least one size too small, didn’t even wait until his wife released his daughter. It was clear to everyone there that he was most displeased and agitated.  
“Hermione, you have to….” A tap on his shoulder silenced him.  
“Mr. Granger? Can I have a word with you?” Hermione saw her father following Mc. Gonagall out of earshot.  
With her mother still holding her, Hermione could recognise the teacher-modus the headmistress was now in.  
Her non-nonsense approach had convinced her father at least that shouting wasn’t the solution to his problem. But he still gesticulated rather wildly and his lips were moving at world record speed.  
After a few minutes she saw McGonagall’s jaw clench. Although she was certain that the headmistress was still cordial to her father, Hermione recognised the signs were every Hogwarts ‘student was on his guard for. The thin, pressed lips and the smaller eyes: The expression professor Mc Gonagall reserved for the students who were too slow-witted and who had tried her patience behind her limits. Involuntary, Hermione started to giggle.  
“Hermione, are you ok?” her mother asked cautiously. Hermione saw the worries in her eyes.  
“Mam …I’m fine. Just a little nervous. I…we will make this work.” she said it with a lot more bravura then she felt. Her husband-to-be was not still not here and it was now a quarter to eleven.  
“My beautiful daughter. “ Her mother gently stroke a lock of hair after her ear. “We are not happy about this but unlike your father I understand that once you have made your own decision and you are sure about it, we have to respect it. You are an adult after all. But promise that you will visit us as often as you can….and write as soon as there are problems. Are you sure you can’t use a mobile phone there or even an old-fashioned dial telephone?”  
Hermione smiled. “Mum…I have told you so many times before. Muggle technology doesn’t work on the Hogwarts grounds….too much magical energy there…but I promise I will write.”  
“It would all be a little easier to accept if we at least had met your fiancé in advance.”  
Hermione bit her tongue so she didn’t blur out the first response she had in her head: “I seriously doubt THAT.” Instead she just said: “I understand.” She wholeheartedly prayed that professor Snape would be polite to her parents in a genuine way, not in his own icy way, spiced up with a huge portion of sarcasm. “I’m wondering what’s taking him so long anyway” she said, more to herself than to her mother.  
McGonagall and Mr. Granger joined them. Mr. Granger had finally accepted that there was nothing he could do to prevent the marriage but he was still looking extremely unhappy.  


 

When they were let into the ceremony room at five to eleven, Hermione’s stomach dropped and there was still no sign of Severus Snape.  
Mc Gonagall fell into step with her: “I know he will come, Hermione. I made him swear it to me, before I came here.” “How ...How did he look….I mean…he wasn’t wearing his black teaching robes, was he?” Mc Gonagall made a face. “Oh No! Do you mean to say that my husband will be dressed like a larger-than-life-bat, the first time my parents see him?”

“Miss Granger?” An old, small ministerial employee looked up at her. “I’m Mrs. Silkbrow and I will perform your ceremony. Welcome! …But where is your intended?”  
“He’s on his way. I’m his witness” interrupted Mc Gonagall firmly.  
“Ok. May I invite your party to sit down? The bride and the witnesses may follow me to the desk. “  
As they walked up to the desk, the older woman took Hermione’s hand and said: “On my pocket watch, it’s one to eleven. I’m very sorry but I have to warn you. If your intended isn’t here at 10 past eleven, I have to report you to the Department Head. We run a rather tight schedule, you see?” Hermione shared a worried glance with Harry. She was sure he was thinking the same: “Would the ministry send people to Azkaban if they didn’t marry on their agreed date?”

 

At eleven ‘o clock exactly, Severus Snape pushed open the door of the ceremony room. The room looked like an ordinary office, huge but ordinary. Well he could have had special chairs with bells, and decorations in a terrible pink, if he had wanted it. But he wasn’t going to spend more money than necessary on this puppet-show. The red carpet and the ugly Cupids at the entrance of the Department had been bad taste enough. Right in front of him, he saw Granger, Potter and Minerva, standing in front of a table, their backs turned to him. “Thank Merlin, Granger isn’t dressed in a wedding gown” he murmured under his breath.  
He walked down the room with big passes, his robes soughing after him. He saw Granger’s parents in the corner of his eye but he didn’t stop to look at them or greet them. At the sound of his robes, heads turned.  
Wait? Granger looked relieved to see him? Potter on the other hand looked really angry and Minerva threw him a reproachful look. He looked back at her, unmoved. She knew he was punctual. Never late –being late showed a lack of discipline in his book, nor early – being early was for people with too much time on their hands and he was a busy man.  
“Ah…Mr. Snape…Please join us soo we can start” said the ministry voice in a sugar sweet voice which Severus immediately detested.  
He took his place next to Granger. She looked aside for a short moment but he didn’t answer her glance and looked straight forward.  
“Welcome…we are joined here today to celebrate the marriage of those two people. Two people who worked hard to preserved our beloved Wizarding World in his darkest hour. “  
Severus Snape sniffed. If he had known three years ago that their beloved world would become this twisted, he would have worked less hard.  
“Does anyone of you has a nice anecdote to tell?” The woman looked hopeful to Harry and Minerva.  
Severus raised his brow. The woman lost her smile for a moment and continued, clearly intimidated:  
“Oh…well…let’s just proceed to the bounding. May I ask both partners to hand out their wand? By binding your lives, you will also bind your magic. “ Severus Snape pulled out his wand and crossed it with the one Hermione Granger was holding out. He tried to catch her glance this time but she only stared at the point where their wands met.  


 

“Hermione Jeanne Granger, do you promise to be faithful to Severus Basil Snape? Do you promise to be respectful and obedient to him. Do you promise to be devoted to your family and to support each other every step of the way?”  
Next to him, Snape could hear Minerva gasp. ”Severus?” she whispered.  
The girl’s eyes shot up to meet his, confusion and anger struggling for the upper hand.  
Behind them, Mr. Granger shouted curses -the Muggle-kind, not the magical kind- he pretended not to hear.  
“Miss Granger?” the ministry official asked.  
“I….I…”  
Snape lowered his head a bit so his soon – to – be-wife, so only she could hear him.  
“Do it….I will explain later;” She still glanced angry at him “Trust me…”  
The young witch swallowed and said: “I do.”  
“Severus Basil Snape, do you in return promise to be faithful to Hermione Jeanne Granger. Do you promise to watch over her and to protect her from danger? Do you promise to take care of your family and to support each other every step of the way?”

“I do.” His voice sounded strange to his own ears but thank Merlin he didn’t sound nervous.  
Bronze ropes were flying from the end of their wands. But instead of connecting their hands, as Hermione had witnessed on Harry’s wedding, the two ropes formed a double circle above their heads with the rope from Snape’s wand forming a bigger circle around Hermione’s smaller one.  
Severus smirked a little bit: Miss Granger had taken a step backwards. She clearly hadn’t anticipate the strength of the magic from the man she was now bound to. Snape too had more difficulty than expected to hold his circle around miss Granger’s, which was a clear indication that she was a more powerful witch then he had ever given her credit for. But he as a master of deception, he didn’t let his surprise show in his face. After a few more seconds the robes broke.  
“Congratulations. You are now married.”  
The voice of the woman came from afar, whilst Snape replaced his wand in his sleeve. He blinked once or twice and looked at his wife. It felt strange…like this wasn’t happening to him.  
Wanting this travesty to be over as quickly as possible, he turned to Minerva who was holding out the box with the rings. He took out the golden ring and reached for Hermione’s hand. Her small hand felt warm and he could see the girl shudder as his cold fingers placed the small ring around her finger.  
“Take this ring….sign of my loyalty and fidelity to you.” Then he held out his hand and Hermione shove the silver ring on his finger. The ring immediately adjusted to the size of his finger. He wouldn’t be able to take it off. She would be the only one who would be able to take of his ring. He would be the only one who would be able to do the same with hers. He heard Hermione speak the same words he had just said.  
The Ministry Official invited Severus and Hermione to sit down for the first time during the ceremony and had them and Harry and professor Mc Gonagall sign the wedding contract.  
After that she handed Severus a thick pile of parchment. “It’s essential to read this through together as soon as possible. It has a lot of stipulations and orders from the Ministry married couples have to follow. I wish you both the best of luck and a very happy, fruitful marriage.”  
“Are we done here?” This woman had tried his patience long enough.  
“Euh…yes. Good day to both of you.”  
Snape had gotten up before the witch was finished and he and Hermione turned to face their wedding guests.  


 

Four people, standing in a row, near to the exit: Mrs. Granger who was weeping against her husbands’ shoulder. Mr. Granger who was looking so murderously at him, as if he was the Dark Lord in person. Potter, who gave Hermione a half-hearted smile. Minerva had a pitiful look on her face. But not for HIM! She looked at Granger. She was HIS friend. She needed to feel sorry for HIM. HIS life was changed by this as much as the girl’s but nobody seemed to care.  
Snape had had it. He didn’t want to walk towards them, to have a confrontation with Granger’s angry father or to hear insincere congratulations.  
Without warning, he grabbed first his wand, then the girl’s arm, thought of Hogsmeade and pulled his new wife with him into the darkness.


End file.
